Inclined rail ball rolling chance device



Dec. 21, 1948. NETHERTQN I 2,456,725

INCLINED RAIL BALL ROLLING CHANCE DEVICE Filed Jan. 16, 1948 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1.

FIG. 2. Z5 [5 INVENTOR. (#49155 A/. NETHERI'OM ATTOR/VE Y6.

Dec. 21, 1948. c. N. NETHERTON INCLINED RAIL BALL ROLLING'CHANCE DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 16, 1948 FIG. 4.

. JNVENTOR. v (H/1,4155 /v. NETHERTOM Patented Dec. 21 1948 iUNlTi-EED JSIAT PATENT OFF ICE INCLINED RAIE -BALL ROLLING CHAN CE DEVICE Charles N. N etherton, Gilman' City. Mo.

AppIioation Ja'nHary 16, 1948, Serial No; 2,728

simple:and-inexpensive to manufacture, neat-and attractive in appearance, andsimple and easy Ito operate.

Other objects andad-van-tages will-become'ap- ..parent ifrom ai-consideration of the following description -in conjunction with the i'accompanying drawings, wherein:

---Eigure 1 is a horizontal cross-sectionof a game apparatus illustrative 'of the invention;

, Figure 2is a vertical cross-section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

-rFigure 23 is a transverse 'cross-section taken substantially on the line: 33 ofFigureZ;

Figure 4--isa transverse cross-section taken substantially :on the. line: 4-4 of Figure. 2;

:..Figure 5 is a '-transverse cross-section on ,;a somewhat enlarged-scale of-a structurardetail .of .:the apparatus taken substantially on the .line 5-5.of-"Figure 2;

"Figure :6 -.is a transverse :icross seotioneonxnn enlargedscale of a. structural detail takensub- :stantially. on :the.line 61iB:of Figure 2 .-Figure v7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of thexinternal components.v of the'tgame appa- .ratus.

With continuedreference to the drawings, the apparatus comprises: a rectangular enclosure, generally indicated at), a plurality of grooved, inclined rails or chutes, generally indicated.= at l:l.,r.mounted .in the enclosure and ra multiplecompartment receptacle, generally indicated at [2,. disposed at one end "of the. enclosure atthe bottom: thereof.

The-enclosure Ill comprises a baseor bottom --wall 43, two side walls l4,-:a front end wall I5, a rear end Wall Iii-sand a top wall or cover 11. lIlhefrontwallis provided in the upper portion thereof. with two spacedeap-art openings l8,- preferablyofcircularform and disposed in the upper corner portions ofthe front=.wall and with four lower openingslli, also preferably of circular formand substantially equally spaced apart-imzmediately above the upper surface of the bottom Wall or base l3.

Themultiple-compartment receptacle [2 may conveniently be formed by extending-the base l3 forwardly beyond the .front wall 15, as clearly .illustratedwin. Figure .2,. and providing an upwardly-extending fiange-or'ridgelx-M along the forward end thereof and spaced-apart, substantially parallel ridges 2| extending from the flange .to the front-wall l5 and providing partitions dividing the receptacle into separate compart- .ments 22, each of which is aligned with and com- .mu'nicates with a respective lower opening I!) in the front wall l5. "The compartments 22 are preferably provided with markings or score indications 23 indicating ithe'jpoin't value of the game pieces received in the 'various compartments of the"multiple-compartmentreceptacle.

The rails or chutes I [are -preferably of-gener- "ally triangular cross-sectionalshape and each rail has a rounded groove24 inthe uppersurface thereof to -provide guides for the spherical game pieces as'the game pieces travellong'itudinally ofthe rail-s. It is to be understood, however; that-rails of other specific shapes may be "provided without in any way exceeding the scope of the invention. :It is also to be understood that the enclosure, the railsand the receptacle may be formed of any suitable material, such-aswood,

synthetic resin pla'stic, glass, metal or paper, without exceeding thescope of the presentinvention.

The various rails I I are arranged in the enclosure lil in a manner to provide several sets of rails at various successive levels in the enclosure,

as is particularly illustrated in FigureslZ and T In the arrangement illustrated, the rails are arranged in four different sets at successively different levels with the rails in-successively lower sets inclined in opposite directions.

The firstor'uppermost set contains two rails 25 and 26, the upper ends of which are secured to the inner side of the front wall of the enclosure-immediately below the front wall upper :mediately.belowthe-lower en'dsof the two rails 25. and: 2B,. -thetinner-edgesof -the rails 25 and '26 being.- beveled. or cut away, .as-shown-at- 28 in Figures 2 and 7, so that a ball running down either of the rails 25 or 26 will-drop from the lower end of either of these rails onto the upper end of the single rail 27 and into the top groove 26 of the rail 21.

The rail 21 inclines forwardly and downwardly to the inner surface of the front wall I5 substantially at the center thereof and has both of its edges cut away or beveled near its lower end, as shown at 29, so that a ball traveling down the rail 27 will roll off of the lower end of the rail at one side or the other in an unpredictable manner.

The next lower or third set of rails contains two rails 30 and 3! which incline rearwardly and downwardly in a diverging manner to the inner face of the rear wall I6 near the bottom thereof. Each of these rails 30 and 3| has its outer edge extended upwardly at the upper end thereof, as indicated at 32, to provide guards or shields to keep a ball falling from the lower end of the rail 27 from running over the outer edge of the rail 30 or 3i into which it drops. The edges of the two rails 3i and 3i are cut away or tapered at the lower end of the rails, as indicated at 33, in the same manner in which the rail 21 is cut away at 29, so that a ball rolling down either rail 30 or 3I may fall to either side of such rail at the lower end thereof in an unpredictable manner.

The fourth or lowermost set of rails comprises two pairs or four rails 34, 35, 36 and 31. The upper ends of the two rails 34 and 35 are positioned at the inner face of the rear wall I6 of the enclosure immediately below the lower end of the rail 30, while the upper ends of the two rails 36 and 31 are positioned at the inner face of the rear wall I6 immediately below the lower end of the rail 3i. The outer edges of the rails 34, 35, 36 and 31 are extended upwardly, as indicated at 38, in the same manner in which the rails 30 and 3! are extended upwardly at 32 to provide guards or shields to keep balls dropping from the lower ends of the rails 30 and 3i from overrunning the outer edges of the corresponding pairs of rails 34, 35 and 36, 37. The lower forward ends of the rails 3 35, 3S and 31 are attached to the inner surface of the front wall I5 of the enclosure immediately below respective lower openings I9 so that balls rolling down these rails of the lower set will pass through the openings l9 and into the corresponding compartments 22 of the re ceptacle I2, where they are scored according to the point value of the various compartments of the receptacle.

The passage of a spherical game piece or ball from one of the openings I8 to one of the receptacle compartments 22 is thus entirely a matter of chance and the scores are accumulated in an unpredictable manner.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. Game apparatus comprising sets of inclined grooved rails arranged in oppositely inclined directions so that the lower ends of the rails of one set communicate with the upper ends of the rails of the next lower set with the lower end of a single rail in simultaneous communication with the upper ends of a pair of rails disposed immediately below it, whereby a ball may be discharged from said single rail to either one of said pair of rails, and receptacle means having respective compartments communicating with the rails of the lowermost set of rails for receivin balls from said lowermost rails, said receptacle means providing scoring values for balls discharged from the various rails of said lowermost set.

2. Game apparatus comprising a rectangular enclosure, a plurality of grooved inclined rails in said enclosure, and a multiple receptacle at one end of said enclosure and at the bottom thereof, said rails comprising several sets at different respective levels in said enclosure with the rails of successive sets inclined in opposite directions and the lower end of one rail of one set communicating with the upper ends of two rails of the set immediately below said one set, said enclosure having openings therein for feeding spherical game pieces to the rails of the uppermost set and for discharging such game pieces from the rails of the lowermost set into said receptacle.

3. Game apparatus comprising a rectangular enclosure, a plurality of grooved inclined rails in said enclosure, and a multiple receptacle at one end of said enclosure and at the bottom thereof, said rails comprising several sets disposed at different respective levels in said enclosure with the rails of successive sets inclined in opposite directions and each successively lower set containing double the number of rails contained in the set immediately above it and with a single rail in any set above the lowermost set in communication at its lower end with the upper ends of a pair of rails in the next lower set, said enclosure having openings therein for feeding spherical game pieces to the rails of the'upper set and for discharging such game pieces from the rails of the lowermost set into said receptacle.

4. Game apparatus comprising a rectangular enclosure, a plurality of grooved inclined rails in said enclosure, and a multiple receptacle at one end of said enclosure and at the bottom thereof, said rails comprising four different sets disposed at different respective levels in said enclosure with the railsof successive sets inclined in opposite directions and with the uppermost set containing two rails, the next lower set a single rail, the third set two rails, and the lowermost set four rails, and with both rails of said uppermost set communicating at their lower ends with the upper end of the single rail of said next lower set, the lower end of said single rail communicating with the upper ends of both rails of said third set, and both rails of said third set each communicating at its lower end with the upper ends of two of the four rails of said lowermost set, said enclosure having two upper openings through which spherical game pieces may be fed to the upper ends of the two rails of said uppermost set and four lower openings through which such game pieces may be discharged from the lower ends of the four rails of said lowermost set into said multiple receptacle.

5. Game apparatus comprising a rectangular enclosure, a plurality of grooved inclined rails in said enclosure, and a multiple receptacle at one end of said enclosure and at the bottom thereof, said rails comprising four different sets disposed at different respective levels in said enclosure with the rails of successive sets inclined in opposite directions and with the uppermost set containing two rails, the next lower set a single rail, the third set two rails, and the lowermost set four rails, and with both rails of said uppermost set communicating at their lower ends with the upper end of the single rail of said next lower set, the lower end of said single rail communicating with the upper ends of both rails of said third set, and both rails of said third set each communicating at its lower end with the upper ends of two of the four rails of said lowermost set, said enclosure having two upper openings through which spherical game pieces may be fed to the upper ends of the two rails of said uppermost set and four lower openings through 6 which such game pieces may be discharged from the lower ends of the four rails of said lowermost set into said multiple receptacle, and said receptacle having four separate compartments communicating respectively with the lower ends of the four rails in said lowermost set of rails.

CHARLES N. NETHERTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,596,947 Russell Aug. 24, 1926 1,918,398 Johnson July 18, 1933 

